STATE PROFILE • Last updated: November 11, 2026
Tennessee Elder Care & Medicaid
Tennessee's TennCare CHOICES program offers comprehensive long-term care support for seniors, including home and community-based services, with income limits requiring a Miller Trust for many.
leaderboard
RANKED #40
GRADE D
FEATURED
Medicaid Coverage Guide for Tennessee
Full breakdown of CHOICES in Long-Term Services & Supports for seniors: waiver programs, nursing home eligibility, income and asset limits, spend-down rules, and how to apply.
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Program
CHOICES in Long-Term Services & Supports
Income cap
$2,982/mo
Medically-needy
No
Elder Care Index Report Card
5-pillar composite scoring vs other states
D
Grade
AFFORDABILITY
GRADE C · 63
QUALITY
GRADE C · 49
STAFFING
GRADE D · 22
ACCESS
GRADE D · 26
MEDICAID SUPPORT
GRADE F · 5
Composite score: 30.8 / 100 (50 = average state)
Methodology arrow_forward
Tennessee At a Glance
Nursing Home Facilities
303
Senior Medicaid Waivers
1
National Rank
#40 / 51
Range #39–#42 when the pillar weights shift
Senior Care Costs in Tennessee
local_hospital
Nursing Home
$9,399/mo
-14.9% vs national avg
- 303 nursing homes · 34,676 beds
- Avg CMS rating 2.96★ (51 rated 5★, 59 rated 1★)
- 3.85 nurse hrs/resident/day (0.61 RN)
Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare
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home_health
Home Health Aide
$24/hr
-11.1% vs national avg
- Median aide wage $14.77/hr
- ~37,020 aides employed statewide
Source: BLS OEWS
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